Gun or rifle.



W. M. DOUGLAS.

GUN 0R RIFLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY s. 1914.

W. M. DOUGLAS.

GUN 0H RIFLE.

APPLICATION FILED IuL\Y 3. 1914.

Patented June 1, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QM.- PLI. ImHmH I.

mhh/woo co W. M. DQUGLAS.

' GUN 0R RIFLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1914.

19 141,383, Patented J une 15.

3 SHEETS-SH www WILLIAM M. DOUGLAS, or eeLvnsroN, Texas.

GUN on RIFLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1915.

Application filed July 3, 1914. Serial No. 848,817.

To aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM M. DOUG# Las, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas,v` have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Guns or Rifles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fire arms and more particularly to improvements in an automatic or semi-automatic gun or rifle.

An important object of the invention is to provide a gun or rifle, of the above mentioned character, so constructed that upon the discharge of the same, the empty cartridge will be automatically withdrawn from the barrel, ejected from proximity thereto, and a new cartridge moved into the loading position to be shoved i'nto the barrel, the final placing of the cartridge in the barrel being effected automatically or manually.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gun or rifle of the above mentioned character, so constructed that the movable breecli-bolt is stationary during the instant of discharge, but a little after such discharge, as when the bullet leaves the muzzle, said breech-bolt is moved away from the rear end of the barrel, to remove the discharged cartridge and load the barrel with a new cartridge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gun or rifle of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, reliable in operation, light, and convenient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying'drawings forming a part of this specication and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a gun or rifle embodying my invention, portions thereof being shown in central longitudinal section,d

and interior portions in elevation, for the sake of illustration, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken one line 3--3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the reciprocatory breech-bolt and housing therefor, Fig. 5 is a. transverse sectional view through the breech-bolt and housingtaken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6V

is a. side elevation of the gun, showing the means to return the breech-bolt to the closed position, Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the breech-bolt returning means, parts being shown in section, Fig. 8 is an end view of the same, and, Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the breech-bolt removed, partly in section.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates the stock of a gun or rifle, carrying 'the usual fore-arm 11, as shown.

Rigidly secured to the fore-arm is a barrel 12, the inner end of which has screwthreaded engagement with a stationary breech-bolt housing 13. This breech-bolt housing is rigidly secured to the stock and fore-arm by any suitable means.

Arranged within the breech-bolt housing is an intermediate breech-bolt casing 14, heldl stationary therein by any suitable means.

Mounted to reciprocate within the breechbolt casing 14 is a breech-bolt 15, to the upper side of which is rigidly secured a plate 16, having its opposite edges beveled, as shown in Fig. 5, to operate within grooves 17 formed in the breech-bolt casing 14.

The breech-bolt housing 13 and the breechsbolt casing 14 are provided upon their upper sides with longitudinally eX- tending registering slots 17, receiving a lug 18, rigidly secured to the plate 16. The lug 18 is adapted to engage a stop 19, rigidly secured tothe rear end of the breech-bolt housing 13, as shown.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the breech-bolt casing and housing are provided upon one side with openings 20, in registration, and affording a passage for the ejection of the cartridge shell 21. The breech-bolt 15 is preferably formed square in cross-section whereby the same cannot turn within the breech-bolt casing 14C.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the forward portion of the breech-bolt 15 is pro- Ivided upon one side with a longitudinally extending recess 22, within which is arranged an extractor 23, attached thereto as shown at 24. This extractor is suitably resilient and is provided at its forward end with a hooked head 25 to detachably engage with the flanged end of the cartridge 2l to effect a rearward longitudinal movement of the same. As more clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 9, the extractor 23 is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 28 to receive the forward end of a swinging ejector 27, pivoted within a chamber 28, as

shown at 29, with its forward end adapted to operate within the groove 22 and the groove 26. The pivoted ejector 27 has a laterally extending vcrank 30, adapted to enter the grooves 22 and 26, and when struck .by the flange of the cartridge, to swing the ejector laterally, whereby the cartridge is thrown through the openings 20.

' Arranged within the breech-bolt casing 13 is a plate 32, rigidly secured thereto by a screw 33 or the like. This plate has pivotal connection with a blade 35, adapted to enter a recess 'within the rear end of the barrel 12, and to automatically vswing rearwardly or downwardly, when released, upon the rearward movement of the breech-bolt.

The function of this blade is to assist in guiding the cartridges from the magazine,

to be described, to the rear end of the barrel.

oted to the upper end thereof, as shown at 41. The firing pin exten s through an opening in the holding-me ber 40, as shown. This holding-member asits lower end beveled, as shown at 43, for a purpose to be described. The beveled end 43 is adapted for detachable engagement with the upper beveled end of a holding-pawl 44 included in the trigger mechanism.' This holdingpawl is pivoted at 46 to a vertically swinging lever 47. The lever 47 is pivoted at 48 and carries a depending'trigger 49. This trigger carries a' rearward extension 50 engaged by a leaf spring 51 tending' to force the samedownwardly.

The head 39 carried by the firing pin 38" 1s engaged by a compressible coil spring 53.2'

The numeral 54 designates a reciprocatory lock operating block or member, eilgaging the rear end of the spring 53. The rear end of the lock operating block 54,'engages a coil spring 55, of greater strength and stiffness than the coil spring 53. At its rear end the coil spring 55 engages a block 56, closing the rear end of the-breech-bolt and held therein bv means of a transversel screw or element 57, also 'carrying a knob 5,8, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The lock operating block 54 carries a rearwardly extending horizontal arm 59. having its rear end in the form of a downwardly inclined depressing portion or tail 60. This downwardly 'inclined portion or tail 60 is arranged to slidably engage with the upper inclined or cam face of 'a pivoted lock-lever tube, by any suitable means.

61, secured to a casing 62, as shown at 63. This lock-lever operates within slots 6.4 in registration with each other and formed through the breech-bolt, breech-bolt casing` and breech-bolt housing. The. forward end of the lock-lever engages a shoulder 65, thus positively preventing the rearward movement of the breech-bolt. The locklever 61 is provided upon its lower side with a recess 66 receiving lthe upper end or head of a vertically reciprocatory pin 67. This pinis normally held in the upper position by a coil spring 68. When the trigger 49 is pulled the firing pin 38 moves forwardly exploding the cartridge. At the time of this explosion the lock-lever 6l holds the breechbolt against rearward movement, but a little after the firing of the cartridge or about the time that the bullet leaves the forward end of kthe barrel, the spring 53 being eX- panded, the spring 55 expanda said, spring 55 being stiffer than the spring 53, as above stated. The spring 55 now moves the lock operating block 54 forwardly, whereby depressing tail swings the` lock-lever 61 downwardly to release the breech-bolt.

When this occurs, the pressure within thel barrel moves the breech-bolt rearwardly, whereby the fired cartridge is ejected, by the ejector 27.

In Figs. 6 to 8y inclusive, I have shown the automatic means to return the breechbolt to its locked position, such means comprising a pair of telescoping tubes 69 and 70. The outer tube 69 is connected with the rear end of the breech-bolt by the screwor pin 57, the same operating through longitudinal slots 71. The forward endA of the inner tube 70 is secured to the fore-armby a saddle 72 or the like. A retractile coil spring 7 3 is arranged within-the inner tube with its forward end secured to the inner tube and its rear end secured to the outer It is obvious that upon the explosion of the cartridge,

the breech-bolt will be carried rearwardly,

as above explained, placing the spring 73 under tension, which upon the reduction of pressure Within the barrel, will move the outer4 tube-69 forwardly, automatically returning the breech-bolt to the forward closed position. I have found that satisfactory results are obtainable by dispensing with the automatic means to return the breech-bolt to the forward closed position,

the same being returned to the closed position by hand with the use of the `knob 5 8. Arranged below the forward portion of the breech-'bolt housing and breech-bolt casing, is a magazine casing 74, having communication withthe rear end of the barrel. This magazine casing contains the new cartridges 21 to successively supply a cartridge to the barrel when the -breech-bolt moves rearwardly by and upon the discharge of pre- Y of the invention vious cartridges. The cartridges are automatically fed upwardly within the magazine casing, by a spring 75, the upper poror about the time that the bullet leaves the forward end of the gun, the spring 5 5 expands, carrying the lock operating block 54 forwardly, whereby element 59 depress'es the lock-lever 61 to release the :breech-bolt. The breech-bolt now automatically moves rearwardly to the open position, the springs 53 and 56 being again placed under tension and the holding element 40 engaged by pawl 44, whereby the firing pin is cocked. Upon this rearward movement of the breech-bolt the extractor 23 carries the exploded cartridge rearwardly with it whereby7 the same is moved into proximity to the ejector 27, which is engaged by the rim of the cartridge, and suddenly swung laterally, throwmg the exploded cartridge out through the openings 20. By this time the pressure within the barrel is reduced sufficiently whereby the spring 73 automatically returns the breech-bolt to the forward closed position, the new cartridge being advanced forwardly gf. the breech-bolt, and carried into the rearend of the barrel by such forward movement. A It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape,- size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or the scope of the sub- ]oined claims.

I -Iaving thus described my invention, I claimz- 1. In a gun or rifle, a barrel having its rear end provided with a breech-bolt casing, a reciprocatory breech-bolt havingslidable engagement with the breech-bolt casing, a firing pin carried by the breech-bolt and movable longitudinally thereof, a lock tol normally hold the breech-bolt against rearward movement, a lock operating member carried by the breech-bolt to move longitut dinally with relation thereto, spring means to effect the forward longitudinal movement of the firing pin and subsequently the forward longitudinal movement of the lock operating member to release the breech-bolt after the firing pin has reached the end of its forward travel, and trigger means adapted to hold and release the firing pin with respect to forward movement.

2. In a gun or rifle, a barrel having its rear end provided with a breech-bolt casing, a reciprocatory breech-bolt having slidable engagement therewith, a pivoted lock element adapted to engage and disengage the breech-bolt, means to normally hold the pivoted lock element in a position to engage with the breech-bolt, a member carried by the breech-bolt and movable longitudinally thereof and carrying a device to slidably engage with the pivoted lock element to move the same out of engagement with the breechbolt upon the forward movement of the member, a spring to move the member forwardly when free to move in that direction, and cartridge firing means carried by the breech-bolt and controlling the forward movement of the member. w Y 3. In a gun or rifle, a barrel having its rear end provided with a breech-bolt casing, a reciprocatory breech-bolt having' slidable engagement therewith, a firing pin carried by the breech-bolt, a spring to move the firing pin forwardly when released, a lock to normally hold the breech-bolt against rearwardmovement, a lock operating member carried by the breech-bolt to move longitudinally thereof and having engagement with the spring, and a. second spring engaging the lock operating member, substantially as described.

4. In a gun or rifle, a barrel having its rear end provided with a breech-bolt casing, a reciprocatory breech-bolt having slidable engagement therewith, a firing pincarried by the breech-bolt, a spring to move the firing pin forwardly when released, a pivoted lock lever normally engaging the breech-bolt to hold it against rearward movement, a lock operating member carried by the breech-bolt to move longitudinally thereof and provided with a downwardly inclined depression tail to slidably engage the lock lever and having its forward end engaging the spring, a spring having greater strength than the first named spring'and engaging the rear end of the lock operating member, and trigger means to temporarily hold the firing pin against movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

A WILLIAM M. DOUGLAS.

Witnesses: 4

LE ROY HU'rcmNs, Jr., F. M. BunsoN. 

